ON HIS OWN
by CutiePie5
Summary: Nick finally gets his own case. Without Grissoms approvel. Nick soon discovers that the murderer is after their friendly lab tech...Greg. PLEASE REVIEW!!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the CSI characters! 

The lights of Las Vegas shinned though the night. Out side the voices of people laughing and talking could be heard. The small rings of casinos echoed. Outside of town, a small home sat facing the town. The lights were on. The screen door was slit. In addition, a hysterical scream pierced the night.

2 hours later the blue and red lights of police cars flashed on the house. A crime scene investigator arrived at the scene. His name was Gil Grissom. He carried a small case. A man followed named Nick. They walked up to the house. 

"Looks like someone broke in" Nick pointed out. He held up a camera and took couple pictures of the door.

Gil opened the door and walked inside. A police officer walked up basement steps to their right. 

"Neighbors heard a scream and called the 911" he reported.

Grissom and Nick made their where down the steps. 

"This is like stepping in to a museum" Nick exclaimed. In the fairly large room there were small shelves of ancient books, tools and coins. On the wall was small platform with four metal loops. 

"This is a Chainwall. It was used in ancient times to keep prisoners." Grissom explained. " See the hoops can be enlarged and shrunk to fit the size of the prisoners arms and legs."

"I'd hate to be in one of those" Nick said." Looks like there's no way to get out of it."

"There isn't." Grissom shined his flashlight over the floor. A woman lay on the floor her eyes open in terror. Her face was purple and her eyes had specks of red around them. Nick took a couple more pictures.

" Looks like someone strangled her." Nick said.

"The question is, who?"


	2. Nick on his own

The group of CSI members sat in the small coffee lounge. 

" Mary Brown," Grissom said. "Was strangled in her basement. The only two finger prints that were in the room where hers and her boyfriend, John Risde."

"John Risde, that's a nice name." Warrick said.

"John Risde? He sounds familiar." Nick said. " Was he in any other cases?"

"Yes, actually. Nick he was in one of your cases. You sent him to a life sentence in jail."

" Well, what is he doing out ?" he asked.

"Good question."

"Well, are the finger prints fresh? Sara Sidle asked.

"Yep, the have been there for at least a day." Grissom replied.

"Anyways, Sarah, Catherine I want you guys to work on a homicide"

"On it." Catherine said as she and Sara left the room.

" Warrick, you and I take the head case."

" And I get the d.b?" Nick asked hopefully.

" Yep, you and Warrick."

Nick rolled his eyes in frustration. Warrick stood up. Well, I'll meet you in the autopsy.

Warrick left the room.

"Nick.." Grissom started

"I know, I know, I'm not ready yet!" Nick said as he brushed passed Grissom. 

Nick stormed down the hallway. He accidentally bumped into Sara. 

"Well, excuse me. What's your problem?" She asked.

"Grissom" 

Nick met up with Warrick in the hallway. 

"Hey, you know this case with the d.b?" He asked.

"Yah, you and I are doing it together. I don't know if I can do two cases, man. Two homicides? Its gonna be hell."

"Well, I'll do it."

"I dunno, didn't Grissom say you weren't ready…."

"Well, I'll show him I am."

"Ok dude, but only cause you're my friend… but if I get in trouble.."

"You won't." Nick reassured him. " And if he asks about it… tell him we found hair fibers on the girls…..sweater."

Nick walked away happily. He was gonna prove to Grissom that he could handle a d.b. He was so ready. At least he hoped so.


	3. Shame Shame Shame

Grissom and Warrick were in the autopsy waiting for the body to come.

"SO, have you talked to Nick yet?" Grissom asked.

"Nope, haven't seen him" Warrick lied.

"Oh..."

"Why, is it about the case?"

"Well, he thinks that…"

Dr. Robbins walked in with the body. 

"Male Caucasian at your service." He said.

Nick entered the home of Mary Brown. He searched for something. 

"So sign of a struggle or forced entry," he thought, "So I guess she knew the guy. He turned on the black light to look for traces of blood. He shined it on the floor, nothing. The table, nothing. He checked the chain wall. Small amounts of blood were visible. 

"Well, this thing is ancient, maybe it's from the people that were on it long ago", anyways he would still check. He examined the chain wall closer. He dusted the hoops for fingerprints. There was a couple on all four. He pressed them and then bagged it. He looked at the hoops. 

"What if the girl, couldn't fight back?"

Nick sat at a table in the computer in an office. He was checking information of the boyfriend John Risde. 

_JOHN RISDE_

SEX: M 

_INFO: WARNING! Escaped convict from Las Vegas detention center._

"Hey Nick" a voice came from the door.

He looked up. It was Warrick.

" How's the case coming man?"

"Pretty good," He replied. "I have a theory and I hope it checks out."

"Sweet well I told Grissom I was going to work with you for a while…" Warrick smiled. "So I guess I'll go eat lunch.." 

"Ha, ha thanks man, " Nick laughed.

"No prob. And by the way, if I get in trouble I am so taking you down with me!" Warrick said as he left the room.

Nick got up and walked to the DNA lab. He saw Greg sitting at his counter looking in a microscope. 

"Hey Greg,  got those prints for me?" Nick asked. Greg looked up. 

"Yep..," he pulled out a piece of paper and read it. " Fingerprints belong to, John Risde."

"Yes, I'm on a role, what about the blood."

" I didn't find a DNA match. The blood is quite old though, so I doubt if the guy is still alive.'

" Than…."

"Hey Greg I need you to process these prints for me" Grissom walked in and held out a small bag.

"I'm on it." Greg replied. He turned and walked over to a small machine. Grissom turned and looked at Nick.

"Hey Nick, how's the case coming?"

"Good, I'm just checking up on some prints Warrick gave to Greg."

Greg turned his head and gazed at Nick suspiciously. 

"Where is Warrick?" 

"He went back to the crime scene" Nick replied.

" Right. Greg I'll be back in a minute to check up on the prints." Grissom turned and left the room.

"WOW, Nick… lying to the boss!"

" If he asks again Warrick gave you everything." Nick turned and left with the papers.

" Nick, Nick, Nick, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME." Greg laughed~


	4. The video

Nick sat in front of the table. John's fingerprints are on the hoops. Maybe he put the girl in there, strangled her……. And then unlocked it and just left her on the floor?

Something wasn't right.

I need to examine the crime scene. 

Nick got up and walked towards his car. 

"Hey, Nick where are you going." Grissom asked as he walked by.

"Crimes scene."

"Good while your there tell Warrick I need him back here stat we have to work on the evidence found in the kitchen."

"Right" Nick lied he just hope he could find Warrick. 

Grissom entered the lounge to grab an experiment from the fridge. He was surprised to see Warrick at the table eating.

"What are you doing here?"

"Having lunch." Warrick mumbled with his mouth full.

"I thought you were working with Nick?" Grissom asked suspiciously.

"I was but he said he had everything under control. He was working on the computer."

"That's funny because he said that you were at the crime scene…"

"Uh, well yah I forgot…whoops well I bet I better get there.." Warrick stood up.

"Warrick, Nick is doing this on his own isn't he?" He asked.

"Uh," Warrick gave up. " Yes… sorry but he made me…"

"He lied to me. Warrick how could you be so thick headed.?"

"Well, Grissom, its just one case, he is handling pretty well, I think he's ready."

" I never said he wasn't ready, the suspect escaped from JAIL!! Nick sent him there!"

"That's why you didn't want…"

"Exactly!" Grissom declared.

Nick looked at the crime scene again. He was missing something. 

"Lets see," he thought. " Boyfriends fingerprints on the hoops, boyfriends fingerprints all over the place…. Girlfriend dead." He looked on the chain wall. He looked at the hoops. He opened them in hope of finding something. 

"Ones larger than the other." He thought.

He looked at the larger one on the inside. He found small fragments on the hoop. He pressed it and put it in a small brown bag. He looked at the room.

All the books were in perfect order. Everything was a lined neatly on the table. Everything was arranged in order of size. Everything, except a table in the far corner next to the chainwall. He walked over and started examining the table. He found a video tape laying under a couple of papers. He looked at the side. It read: FOR CSI NICK STOKES!

Nick stare at the tape dumbfounded. "What the hell?"

It was 12:00. Nick could barley keep his eyes open. He entered the crime lab and walked in to a small room. It was dark but he kept the lights off so nobody would know he was here. He popped the tape he found in the VCR and pressed the green play button.

John Ridse face filled the screen. 

_"Hey, Nick buddy! I bet your having the time of your life. Putting people in jail. I bet you don't even know what jail is like do you? Well I do? Don't you remember Nick? HUH you sent me there. Must of felt good. TO be the man, you felt like you accomplished something. Well, tough luck. You put me through hell. And I bet you liked knowing that don't you nicky? Put there is one thing you don't like and that's seeing people get hurt isn't it? Well looky here." The camera moved over to show Mary Brown on her chainwall. Her mouth was gaged and her face held total terror.  John Ridse held a knife in his hands._

_"Look at that beautiful face." John said. " What if I cut it up? Nick wouldn't like that would he?" _

_John held the knife close to the girls face. He moved it down to Mary's arm and sliced a thin cut down her arm. Mary winced._

_"That hurt didn't it Mary?" John looked at the camera. " You didn't like seeing that did you Nick? It wasn't nice was it. Someone getting hurt because of you? Aren't you enjoying it. You did the same thing to me. My plan was going well. Robbery, nobody could catch me. But damn you came along. But that's ok. I'm not done with you yet……"_

_He turned toward Mary, dropped the knife and put his hands towards her throat. He pressed hard and strangled her. Mary's head hung, lifeless. John released the hooks and watched her fall to the ground. _

_"See Nick I did that for you! Its so great to see the life just float away from them. So you better watch out…cause maybe someone else will be next…..maybe one of your friends?"_

The screen went black. Nick just stared at the screen. " God I hope he is just kidding."


	5. Greg or him?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!!   

Nick ejected the video and hid it in the cabinet.  Nick did not know what to do! Should he tell Grissom?? 

_Maybe it was a bad idea…to work alone…_Nick thought.

He walked down the hall. He was going to tell Grissom. Of course, he would be yelled at. Of course, Warrick would get in trouble two, but his friends' lives were at stake.

He turned the corner and passed the lab. He stopped. That was strange. No loud music came from the room. The lights were off. 

That would have been ok. If Greg's shift didn't end for 3 more hours. Nick opened the door and peered inside.

"Greg?" he asked. 

He flipped the lights on.

"Damn" he thought. What if…what if he took Greg…I mean Greg was his best friend…

Then he saw something that made his heart jump. He felt like an ice cube just went down his stomach. Blood…Blood was splattered all over the floor. And in the mist of the blood was an envelope. Nick knew what it was before he even opened it. He knew his best friend was in deep shit.

He picked up the blood soaked letter and opened it slowly. He was unaware that his heart was beating 3 times its usual rate. He opened the envelope and read:

_Nick,_

_I have your best friend. Greg is it? He's mine. But, the thing is I don't want him, I want you. So chose Nick, your own pathetic life or the precious life of a friend. Of course, there is no doubt, what you will pick. Selfish Nicky, he chooses his own over a friend. Or will you? Come to the abandoned hotel on Harrington Dr. Hopefully there you will find your friend._

"Nick?"

Nick jumped. He turned and saw Grissom in the door.

"I need to talk to you about the case." Grissom started. "I know your not working with Warrick…"

"Grissom, now's not the time… there's something I need to tell you."

"If its about the case Nick, its doesn't matter cause I handed it over to Warrick. Your working with me.'

"IS that ALL YOU CARE ABOUT? THE CASE? WORK? DID YOU EVEN PAUSE TO RELIZE THAT GREG ISN'T HERE?"

Nick stormed passed Grissom. He was angry. His friend was kidnapped and all Grissom cared about was the case. 

_Well Nick _said a voice in his head _ You can't expect him to read your mind! He didn't know._

Guilt swam through Nick. I should of told him, instead of blowing up at him. Oh well, his friend was in danger and that is all Nick cared about now.

"Hold on Greg. I'm coming"

Greg head hurt. That's all he could think about was the pain. He looked around and saw he was in a room. It looked like a hotel room. A really old hotel room, god did it smell.

Greg tried to turn around but pain seized him again. He was bound tightly. Ankles and wrist to a chair. 

'Damn' he thought. He tried to remember what happened. He was in the lab. He heard something behind him and everything went black. So, why in hell did his head hurt so much?

CREAK 

 The door opened and a man walked in. 

"Hello Greg~" the man said.

"How… how do you know…" he tried to form a sentence but his head was throbbing.

"How did I know your name?" the man asked. " Simple. You're a friend of Nicks. And hello… you kind of wear a nametag. Gosh, are all of you CSI's this stupid?"

Greg felt angry storm up inside him. He wasn't a CSI, he was a lab tech. And he sure as hell wasn't dumb. 

"What do you…. want…with nick?" Greg stuttered out.

"Lets just say he has to chose. Himself or you." The man said.

_Oh no_ Greg thought _Nick surely would risk his life for Greg. Shit. How am I gonna get out of here?_

Nick zoomed down the road in his car. "Harrington…were is that road?"

He finally pulled up to a hotel. He parked the car and walked nervously inside to the lobby. If you called it a lobby.

The place was so torn down and rusty, that it was hard to tell this had once been a popular hotel. 

"So, Nick you decided to arrive." A voice came from the stairs.

"John," Nick answered. " Where's Greg?"

"Up here." John turned and walked up the steps. Nick gulped and slowly followed. 

The made there way up the creaky stairs and turned into a hallway. John stopped at 23 and pushed the door open. Nick gazed inside and saw Greg tied to a chair and his head covered in dried blood.

'Oh god!' Nick yelled. He ran over to Greg. "Greg? Greg!!"

Nick was at his side, praying hopefully that he was still alive.

Greg slowly lifted his head. 

"Nick, leave…it's a…" Greg started. But what it was Nick never found out, because a slam startled the both of them. John locked the old rusty door and turned towards the door.

"Ok down to business.' He pulled out a shinny revolver. " Which one dies first?"

Nick looked around. There was no way out. The window was barricaded and John was blocking the door. _Shit why didn't he tell Grissom?_

"What do you mean first?" Greg said.

" You said that…' Nick started.

"Ok, ok," John said. He looked inpatient. ' Lets get this over with." Nick noticed that John glanced at his watch. 

"Ok Nick who do you choose….."


	6. The choice

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!_

_15 minutes ago…_

Grissom watched as Nick brushed passed him. He felt guilt rush over him like a wave. He glanced down at the pool of blood. His heart dropped. 

"Oh my god!" he turned to follow Nick but a white envelope caught his eye…..

­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Nicks heart raced. He had to choose himself…

There was no way he was going to let his friend die because of him…. He stared in Johns dark eyes…

_Funny...if the eyes are the window to the soul…how come all I see is John?..He doesn't have a soul…_ Nick thought uselessly.

"How do I know your not going to kill Greg after I say my answer?" Nick asked.

"Because I say, now come on Nick lets go…. Live in guilt…. Or in heaven….your choice.."

"Let Greg go…and then we'll talk…"

John glanced at his watch again.

"What's wrong John? IN a hurry??" Nick asked taunting.

"None of your damn business!"

Nick knew he had to stall. If he did maybe they both could live.

"Ok..ok.." Nick started. " I choose… well im not sure."

Greg glanced up at Nick. _What's he playing at?_ He thought.

"Nicky…Nick.. Nick… I see what your trying to do. Stall for time. Well that's not going to work. Choose now or I'll kill the both of you. Greg first so you can hear him scream."

Nick gave up. This guy was good.

"Fine… me"

A gun shot rang through the air…

_Sorry this chapter is really short!!!!! I promise to update SOON_


	7. apology

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters!! 

This is the last chapter I promise!

A gunshot rang through the air.  A special CSI fell to the floor. 

Nick looked up slowly and looked in Greg's eyes.

"Sorry…" he whispered. His head fell. Greg could only stare in disbelief. His friend…His best friend…was..

"Dead." John said. He laughed. Greg glared at him. "He is finally dead."

But Greg didn't believe he didn't want to.

'NO HE ISN"T! He's alive…." 

He was interrupted with sirens. He heard voices down bellow. The smile from Johns face faded.

"There somewhere upstairs!" someone yelled.

John turned towards the door. Greg struggled. He was going to get away! 

BANG!

John fell forward. He hit the door and slide down the wall. Nick was kneeling holding a gun.

"Nick your alive." Greg exclaimed. His heart suddenly lifted.

Nick turned and smiled at the lab tech…he forced a laugh. "For now."

"I thought.. how did you get the gun" Greg asked.

"Hid it…in my… coat." Nick winced. John had shot his right in the stomach….He held his hand up to the  wound.

4 men came bursting into the room. Brass and Grissom guns held and 2 other police men.

Brass was shocked at the sight. John was lying on the floor dead. Greg was tied to a chair. And Nick was….

"Nick!" he exclaimed. " Are you ok? What happened?"

"John…. took Greg…shot…. I shot him…." Suddenly Nick was swept up in a wave of complete and total darkness.

Beep. Beep. Beep 

Nick slowly opened his eyes. The light was blinding. He looked around. He was in a hospital bed. He turned his head and saw that Grissom sat at his right along with Warrick.

"Hey.." He managed to say. His throat felt like he hadn't opened it in ages.

Warrick looked up!

"Nick! Hey buddy!" 

Nick looked at Grissom.

"Grissom, listen I'm sorry I…'

'Its ok Nick. If anyone is sorry, it should be me. I admit I have been holding you back. But, I just feel like its not time for you to…"

"I know.. 'Anyone who's great at anything does it for their own approval' .. that's what you said last time anyway."

"Glad to know your listening!"

Nick sat up.

"How's Greg?"

"Fine. Couple bruises but alive. Your lucky to be here to!"

Nick laughed. 

"Tell me about it!"

A week later 

" Greg! Did you get those results?" Nick tried to yell over the blaring music!

"GREG?"

Greg looked up.

"WHAT I CAN"T HEAR YOU?"

Nick turned off the stereo.

"Results?" he asked with a smile.

"Nope don't have them yet. I'm really backed up. A lot people have been giving me stuff."

"But how many of them are your best friend?"

"I dunno Nick. Last time I was your best friend I ended up tied to a chair…" 

"Yah… point taken. What if I lent you Charlie's Angels on DVD?"

" Isn't that the one with the hot girls in spandex?" Greg asked interested.

"I think so. What do ya say?"

"I'd say your stuff just moved to the top of the pile!"

THE END! FInALLY!


End file.
